Houzz
Houzz Tour: Turning the Tide for a Pacific Northwest Island Home
A renovation of a 1980s home on Whidbey Island celebrates water views, color and eclectic style
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com. At the time this vacation home on Whidbey Island in Washington’s Puget Sound was built, parachute pants and leg warmers were all the rage. While clothing styles have evolved since the early 1980s (thankfully), the home hasn’t. A major two-year renovation brought this waterfront retreat up to snuff on…
How to Farm Your Parking Strip
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com Walk down the street in any Seattle neighborhood these days, and you may be more likely to see Swiss chard or lettuce growing in parking strips than grass. “All over Seattle, vegetable gardens in parking strips are popular,” landscape designer Erin Lau says. That narrow strip of land between…
Get Organized: 12 Inspiring, Attainably Neat Closets and Drawers
This article orignially appeared on Houzz.com January is the month when we’re focused on new beginnings. Why not tackle a clean-out of your cluttered closet? We’ve seen your comments saying that it would be easy to stay ultra-organized when closet space was practically unlimited, as it is in many of our most popular closet photos…
Valentine’s Day Family Traditions for a Lifetime of Love
"I wanted my husband and I to be our children’s first valentines, to shape their impressions of this holiday and teach them it’s not merely about romance, but about love"
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com. Years ago I was shopping with my daughter and being helped by a pleasant young woman. As she and I chatted, a man came into the shop, holding a small bouquet and a card, and stopped at the register. The young woman excused herself. She and the man spoke…
Historic Fremont House a Haven of Custom Furnishings
A 1908 home in the city’s Fremont neighborhood gets designer details and a bright interior face-lift
Console and bench: custom-designed by Heidi Caillier Design; bench fabric: Pazuru Mulberry, Zak+Fox; vintage Moroccan rug: Pink Rug; lamp: Bodega, Arteriors Home; art: TRNK-NYC
A Camano Island Home Strong Enough for a Tsunami
Storms don't scare this Washington state home; breakaway features and waterproof finishes let it weather high winds and waves
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com. The story of how a modest cabin perched on the edge of Puget Sound on Camano Island, Washington, became a sturdy modernist structure strong enough to take on no less than a tsunami is an interesting one. The owners contacted Dan Nelson, principal at Designs Northwest in Seattle, about…
Think You Haven’t Got Space for a Garden?
This article orginially appeard on Houzz.com If your outdoor space is tiny, tricky or totally nonexistent, you can still find a way to grow a little garden. Forget big shrubs or sculptural trees and think instead about window boxes, clever climbing vines and lush indoor jungles. Sometimes simply getting hold of the right planters is…
Nine Design Tips for Entertaining in a Small Space
Supersize your next soiree with these clever tricks for lighting, seating and crowd control
This article orinigally appeared on Houzz.com. The fact that you have a small space shouldn’t mean you can’t have big get-togethers. To help you make your space function well for entertaining—while still working for your day-to-day life—here are some of my favorite tips for furniture, styling and even secret crowd control. You can have the night…
Mazama Mountain Cabin Makes a Cozy, Stylish Retreat: A Home Tour
In Washington’s North Cascades, a wood-paneled vacation home provides access to views and outdoor activities
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com. This house nestled in the North Cascades mountains in Mazama, Washington, reflects the rugged landscape around it while also possessing a modern, airy and stylish vibe. The remote vacation house is owned by a Seattle couple who were instinctively drawn to the beautiful setting of pine forests, crystal clear…
Your Best Winter Accessory for the Kitchen
Flowers and foliage will bring cheer to your kitchen even in the dead of winter
This article orginially appeared on Houzz.com. After the festivities of the holiday season have passed, it’s common for a case of the blues to settle in, with a few months’ wait until spring arrives. If this syndrome calls at your home, combat it by treating yourself to a gift of flowers. And since so much…
Houzz Tour: Log Cabin on Puget Sound Has More Room to Spare
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com. This log cabin on Washington’s Camano Island, with stunning views of Utsalady Bay, was built in the 1940s and has been in the same family ever since. When the current owners (he’s the grandson of the original owner and builder) found themselves growing short on space, they called on…
Meet Greenery, Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year
Give your home a fresh start for the new year with this fun, nature-inspired hue
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com. I’ve heard many folks grumble that 2016 has been a rough year. In addition to losing many iconic musical heroes, we are still emerging from an especially heated election season. As we turn our attention to the new year and, hopefully, look forward to a fresh start, the color-management…
12 Home Hot Spots for Holiday Decorating
This article originally appeared on Houzz.com. Time to dust off those boxes in the garage and clean the spiderwebs from the garland stored in the basement. The holidays are upon us. My two youngest boys have holiday radar. As soon as October 1 hits and the air chills at night, they know it’s time for…